Eurozone jobless rate reaches record 11.9 percent

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PARIS — The unemployment rate in the eurozone edged up in January to a new record, official data showed Friday, as the ailing European economy continued to weigh on the job market.

Unemployment in the 17-nation eurozone stood at 11.9 percent in January, up from 11.8 percent in December, and from 10.8 percent in January 2012, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, reported.

For the 27 nations of the EU, the January jobless rate stood at 10.8 percent, up from 10.7 percent in December.

A separate report showed price pressures easing in February. In the eurozone, the annual inflation rate came in at 1.8 percent, down from 2.0 percent in January, and below the European Central Bank’s 2 percent target.

The jobless data ‘‘suggest that wage growth is set to weaken from already low rates’’ and further depress consumer spending, Jennifer McKeown, an economist at Capital Economics in London, wrote in a research note.